Nuclear matrix proteins and their potential applications to diagnostic pathology

The nuclear matrix is the nonchromatin scaffolding of the cell nucleus that confers nuclear shape, organizes the nuclear chromatin, and regulates many important intranuclear biochemical events. Although our understanding of t he nuclear matrix and its proteins is still evolving, it is clear that nucl ear matrix proteins (NMPs) hold considerable promise as diagnostic tools fo r pathologists. Early evidence suggests that NMPs may be useful biomarkers of neoplastic disease in serum, body fluids, and tissues. NMPs are also pot ential candidates for use as turner prognostic factors and targets of antic ancer drugs. Moreover NMPs may hold the keg, to understanding important cel lular events, such as neoplastic transformation, steroid hormone binding, a nd apoptosis. Despite impressive gains made by cellular biologists and bioc hemists toward understanding the structure and function of the nuclear matr ix, many of the potential applications of NMPs to diagnostic pathology are largely unexplored Thus, NMPs should prove an exciting and fruitful area of investigation for experimental and clinical pathologists who are intereste d in developing diagnostic tests for detecting quantitating, and characteri zing these proteins in human tissues and body fluids and translating these applications into the clinical pathology laboratory.